🔗 Share this article

American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an investigation into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after numerous crashes.

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The NHTSA declared that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly requesting a recall of the cars if the authority determines they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency reported it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and moving in the incorrect direction during lane changes while using the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD engaged, “came to an junction with a red light, proceeded to drive into the intersection despite the red signal and was subsequently part of a collision with other cars in the junction”.

The authority noted that four crashes had caused injuries to occupants.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stationary for the entire time of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “failed to give warnings of the system's planned actions as the vehicle was coming to a red light”.

Continuing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more advanced than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the authority began an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.

Company's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for operation by a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

Automated car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with current implementations.